Vehicle diagnostic system and method with vehicle system identification and checklist generation

Abstract

A vehicle diagnostic system and method for identifying and presenting vehicle safety systems on a vehicle for calibration by an operator includes providing a vehicle diagnostic computer tool that includes a display screen and is configured to be connected to a diagnostic port of a vehicle. The vehicle diagnostic tool is configured to determine vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle and to receive vehicle damage information inputs corresponding to areas on the vehicle in which there is damage. A system list program generates a list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration based on the determined vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle and the vehicle damage information inputs, where the list corresponds to vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle that are disposed in damage areas. The vehicle diagnostic computer tool is further configured to display the list on the screen.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A method for identifying and presenting vehicle safety systems on a vehicle for calibration by an operator, said method comprising:
 providing a vehicle diagnostic computer system comprising a vehicle diagnostic computer tool, wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to be connected to a diagnostic port of a vehicle to be in communication with an electronic system of the vehicle; 
 providing a system list program, wherein said system list program is operable to generate a list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration based on inputs to said system list program; 
 determining vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool; 
 determining areas on the vehicle in which there is damage, wherein said areas comprise damage areas, and providing vehicle damage information inputs to the system list program based on the damage areas; 
 generating a list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration via said system list program based on the determined vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle and the vehicle damage information inputs, wherein the list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration corresponds to vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle that are disposed in damage areas; and 
 providing to a user via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool the list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration; 
 wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool includes a display screen, and wherein the method further comprises displaying on the screen of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool the list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration; 
 wherein the list of vehicle safety systems requiring calibration comprise Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and wherein said vehicle diagnostic computer system further comprises electronic calibration data configured to provide calibration support for one or more of the listed vehicle safety systems requiring calibration; and 
 wherein the list of vehicle safety systems requiring calibration additionally includes an indication of which of the vehicle safety systems requiring calibration are supported by said vehicle diagnostic computer system via the electronic calibration data, and wherein said displaying on the screen of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool the list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration further comprises displaying an indication of which of the vehicle safety systems requiring calibration are supported by said vehicle diagnostic computer system, and wherein said method further comprises; 
 accessing, by a user of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool, electronic calibration data for at least one vehicle safety system requiring calibration that is supported by said vehicle diagnostic computer system, wherein said accessing by the user comprises launching via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool electronic calibration data for the at least one vehicle safety system; and 
 calibrating the at least one vehicle safety system based on the electronic calibration data, wherein said calibrating the at least one vehicle safety system comprises using by the user the vehicle diagnostic computer tool and electronic calibration data associated with the at least one vehicle safety system to calibrate the at least one vehicle safety system for repairing at least one of the damage areas of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said vehicle diagnostic computer tool includes said system list program. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising reading vehicle data information of the vehicle with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool, and wherein said determining vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool comprises using the vehicle data information to determine the vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein reading vehicle data information of the vehicle with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool comprises reading a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said determining vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool comprises using a database to identify vehicle systems present on the vehicle. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle damage information inputs comprises at least one of;
 one or more digital images of the vehicle, and wherein image recognition software is used on the one or more digital images to determine damage to the vehicle; 
 data from a collision estimating software; or 
 data input by a user of the vehicle diagnostic tool. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said displaying on the screen of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool the list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration further comprises displaying on the screen of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool an indication of completion of calibration of vehicle safety systems upon completion of calibration thereof. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is operatively connected with a remote computer system, and wherein the system list program interfaces with the remote computer system, with the remote computer system configured to confirm that all of the listed vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration have been calibrated. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising running a vehicle diagnostic scan using said vehicle diagnostic computer tool, and wherein prior to running the vehicle diagnostic scan said vehicle diagnostic computer tool requires confirmation that all of the listed vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration have been calibrated. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic scan comprises a post scan after performing repairs on the vehicle. 
     
     
       11. A vehicle diagnostic system comprising:
 a vehicle diagnostic computer tool, wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool includes a display screen, and wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to be connected to a diagnostic port of a vehicle to be in communication with an electronic system of the vehicle; 
 a system list program; 
 electronic calibration data configured to provide calibration support for one or more vehicle safety systems; 
 wherein said vehicle diagnostic tool is configured to determine vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle, and wherein said vehicle diagnostic tool is configured to receive vehicle damage information inputs corresponding to areas on the vehicle in which there is damage, wherein said areas comprise damage areas; 
 wherein said system list program is configured to generate a list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration based on the determined vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle and the vehicle damage information inputs, wherein the list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration corresponds to vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle that are disposed in damage areas; 
 wherein said vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to display on the screen of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool the list of vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration and an indication of which of the vehicle safety systems requiring calibration are supported for calibration via the electronic calibration data; and 
 wherein said vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to enable a user to launch via the vehicle diagnostic computer tool electronic calibration data for each of the vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration and that are supported for calibration for repairing the damage areas of the supported vehicle safety systems. 
 
     
     
       12. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool comprises the system list program. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to read vehicle data information of the vehicle to determine the vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle data information of the vehicle comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to interface with a database to determine the vehicle safety systems present on the vehicle based on the VIN. 
     
     
       15. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle damage information inputs comprise at least one of;
 one or more digital images of the vehicle, and wherein image recognition software is used on the one or more digital images to determine damage to the vehicle; 
 data from a collision estimating software; or 
 data input by a user of the vehicle diagnostic tool. 
 
     
     
       16. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to allow a user to access the electronic calibration data with the vehicle diagnostic computer tool for calibration of vehicle safety systems requiring calibration that are supported by said vehicle diagnostic system. 
     
     
       17. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 11 , wherein said system further comprises diagnostic scan application programs, and wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is operable to run a selected one of the diagnostic scan application programs to diagnose the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to require confirmation that all of the listed vehicle safety systems equipped on the vehicle requiring calibration have been calibrated prior to the vehicle diagnostic computer tool running the selected one of the diagnostic scan application programs. 
     
     
       18. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 11 , wherein said vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to display on the screen of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool an indicator display field associated with each listed vehicle safety system requiring calibration, wherein each indicator display field provides an indication whether the associated vehicle safety system has been calibrated. 
     
     
       19. The vehicle diagnostic system of  claim 11 , wherein said vehicle diagnostic computer tool is configured to display on the screen of the vehicle diagnostic computer tool a support display field associated with each vehicle safety system requiring calibration that is supported by said vehicle diagnostic computer system via the electronic calibration data, and wherein the support display field is selectively activatable by a user of the diagnostic computer tool, and wherein upon activation of a given support display field electronic calibration data comprising calibration instructions for the associated vehicle safety system are provided on the display screen of the diagnostic computer tool. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying on the display screen of the diagnostic computer tool an indicator display field associated with each listed vehicle safety system requiring calibration, wherein each indicator display field provides an indication whether the associated vehicle safety system has been calibrated. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying on the display screen of the diagnostic computer tool a support display field associated with each vehicle safety system requiring calibration that is supported by said vehicle diagnostic computer system via the electronic calibration data. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the support display field is selectively activatable by a user of the diagnostic computer tool, and wherein upon activation of a given support display field electronic calibration data comprising calibration instructions for the associated vehicle safety system are provided on the display screen of the diagnostic computer tool.